Pictorial Representation guidance

This resource provides food businesses with advice on what to consider when declaring a pictorial representation of a food ingredient on the label of a pre-packed product.

The guidance addresses the different components of a product that can deliver
flavour, be it flavourings or ingredients, and how, being used in combination
or
individually, companies can substantiate the use of a pictorial of a certain
food
ingredient. Three comprehensive worked examples of how the principles apply to
different foodstuffs are also included in the guidance.

Terminology

For the purposes of this guidance document:

Depiction = pictorial representation.

Ingredient = any substance or product and any
constituent of a compound ingredient, used in
the manufacture or preparation of a food and still
present in the finished product even if in an altered
form. For the purpose of this guidance flavourings,
food additives and enzymes are not considered
ingredients.

Flavourings = products which are not intended
to be consumed as such, which are added to
food in order to impart or modify odour and/or
taste. The categories of flavourings are set out in
section 3. This does not preclude the use of the
term flavourings in the ingredients list to cover all
categories of flavourings.

Wholly or mainlyy can be interpreted in different
ways but as a guide at least 51% weight/weight of
the flavouring components of the flavouring should
come from the depicted source. When determining
the % from the named food (FTNF) only the
flavouring components are considered not the carrier
or additives used to formulate the flavouring.

Foreword

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs commends the Food and
Drink Federation and its supporting partner the UK Flavour Association for
their
work to provide industry guidance about pictorial representations on food
labels.
It is important that the approach is consistent to maintain current industry
practices where these are in accordance with the law. This approach enables
consumers to be fully informed and to prevent them being misled about the
composition
of the food they buy.Sarah Church, Director, Food and Farming Department for Environment, Food
and
Rural Affairs.